Hamas is holding an election for a new interim leader, a senior Palestinian official familiar with the armed group's affairs has told the BBC.

Axar.az informs according to the publication, voting is taking place across Gaza, the occupied West Bank and among Hamas's members elsewhere.

The outcome may signal which direction the movement intends to take - particularly as the US and other mediators discuss post-war governance of Gaza, reconstruction efforts and the future status of armed groups there.

The elections come after most of Hamas's senior leadership were killed in Israeli strikes following the group's 7 October 2023 attacks on Israel, in which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 others taken hostage.